HOW to feed a baby formula

Its week 3 in the How to Feed your kid series. This week Olivia is back to talk to us about logistics of formula feeding. To catch the first part of her journey to formula feeding click here. Stick with us as each Tuesday we talk about a different element to feeding your baby.

Now that we’ve discussed why we went with formula, let’s discuss which formula and bottles we chose and why.

There are a lot of things I’m very “whatever” about in my parenting, but what my baby puts in his mouth is a huge topic for me. Before he was born, I researched endlessly about organic formulas, and formulas without soy–this is almost impossible, if not impossible to find in America. I could have made my own, but I knew, with me going back to work, that wasn’t feasible or realistic.

When we ended up at the pediatrician, with my starving son, and the doctor gave us a free sample of pre-made Enfamil Premium, we went with it. I didn’t do my research, as I normally do, I just wanted my son to eat.

We stuck with that formula for two months; that’s about a month and a half longer than we should have!

He had serious issues taking down that formula. Even when we switched to the powder, it was too strong for his belly. Finally, right after his two month doctor’s visit, we switched him cold turkey to the Gentlease powder (we tried the pre-made and he hated it! Also, the pre-made has carrageenan in it, which is an inflammatory).

As it says right on the container, it’s for fussiness, gas, and crying. Check, check, and check. It was a torturous week, as switching formula is extremely hard on a baby’s belly…but, we stuck it out, and after about a week, it was as if we had a new baby. Not kidding. He drank everything smoothly, happily, and would fall asleep. We also mixed the Little Remedies Gas Drops in with the bottles, which seemed to help a lot! For the next baby (someday!), I’ll be starting with the Gentlease, for sure.

Now, as for bottles. I knew I wanted to go with glass. Yes, it seems crazy: glass bottles and a baby? However, I’m very wary of plastic, and I especially didn’t want my baby drinking all of his nutrition out of something which may leach into his system.

We registered for the Dr. Brown’s Glass Bottles, and we used them for a good six months. Again, I wish I had switched sooner (I see a trend here…). The bottles were OK in the beginning, but leaked a ton; and, I didn’t love the special plastic insert part, designed as a venting system. You couldn’t take it out and use the bottles. It was incredibly hard to wash all the little parts. Also, they were really heavy. As Weston got older, he got frustrated he couldn’t hold it on his own.

After much research, I tried the Evenflo Glass Bottles and we LOVE them. Yes, they leak a bit: all bottles do. But, they’re so much lighter (but, still strong! He drops it on the floor, without any protection on it), so much easier to clean, and no plastic parts inside.

Speaking of cleaning, we use the Cuisinart Sterilizer and have never had any issues with it.
We’ve had many trials and tribulations with testing all of these things out, as many parents do. This is what we’ve found worked for our son, and I hope it inspires you to not just see what I used, but to do a double check on your own stuff–is it really working for you? I wish I had asked that question sooner!

Hi, I’m Olivia! I live on the North Shore of Long Island with my husband and 7 month old son, Weston. I’m a middle school Latin and history teacher, as well as a blogger. I’ve been writing The Lovely Sisters, with my sister, for over 6 years, and also contribute to Rookie Moms. You can find me on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram. Come say hi!

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Hey Girl!

I'm Heather, lover of hard workouts, good food, curse words, and my family. Find me on SnapChat (heatherosby) and make sure to enter your email below to stay in touch with all the latest at Hot & Healthy Life